


On the Nature of Duality and Fascination

by harpydora



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Character Study, Hieron Universe, M/M, Secret Samol 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 07:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13142220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harpydora/pseuds/harpydora
Summary: "He fancies us, you know," Ethan said, tone teasing. Edmund nearly choked on his drink.(Written for @roswellwrites for Secret Samol 2017)





	On the Nature of Duality and Fascination

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for @roswellwrites on Twitter as a Secret Samol gift. The prompt was: "The Hitchcock's negotiating romance with other people when they live as one person." To be honest, I really loved the prompt and feel like there's a lot of cool things to do with the concept, but I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. So here we are. Enjoy!

"He fancies us, you know," Ethan said, tone teasing. Edmund nearly choked on his drink—tea, thank the gods; it would have been miserable to almost inhale something stronger. He held up a hand before Ethan could thump him on the back and deliberately set his cup down.

"Who?"

"Carter. Carter Smythe? You know, that strapping lad in my class, the one from near Emberboro?" Ethan swung into the chair opposite him, snagged the tea that Edmund had just set down, and took a sip.

Edmund glared at his brother, reaching across the table to reclaim his cup. "He fancies  _ you, _ then."

"But that's the same thing as far as he knows," Ethan said. "Besides, didn't we agree that it's the same thing as far as we care?"

When Ethan's hand shot out to pluck the cup from Edmund's fingers, Edmund shifted to the side and drained the remaining tea before depositing the cup into his brother's hand. The look of frustration Ethan rewarded him with was well worth the scalded tongue. Sulkily, Ethan pushed himself out of his chair and stalked over to the stove so he could put the kettle back on.

"Oh, while you're up, could you put on enough water for me to have another cup as well?" Edmund called. He ignored Ethan's answering invectives. "And I've decided I  _ do _ care. I have a hard enough time keeping up with which students are yours and which ones are mine and which ones we share. I don't want to have to keep up with which one we're supposed to be on kissing terms with now, too."

Ethan, despite his swearing, added more water to the kettle before setting it to heat. "I didn't say we were on kissing terms with him yet. I just said he'd like us to be." This time, he kicked his legs up onto the table and tilted the chair back when he sat down. Edmund scowled, but Ethan paid him no mind. "It might be fun, though. It's been a while."

"It has," Edmund agreed. The last time had been before they'd left the cavalry; a sweet stablehand who'd always treated their horses kindly and who kissed as slow and sweet as honey. They shared a moment of quiet while Ethan doubtlessly also remembered their last tryst. Then Edmund spoke again, "So, do we fancy him back?"

"I think I'd like us to," Ethan said after a moment's consideration. "He's easy on the eyes, he has a nice smile, and did I mention he's very strapping?"

"You'd mentioned that, yeah." Edmund found himself idly turning his empty teacup over and studying the worn pattern on the china. It was one of Aubrey's mismatched set. "What's he like, though? Is he clever or gentle or loud-mouthed? You said he was from near Emberboro… he's not a cobbin, is he?"

Ethan's bark of laughter surprised them both, but Edmund managed to keep hold of his teacup despite being startled. "Have you ever met a strapping cobbin? Cobbins can't be strapping!"

"I don't know. It's not like I've met every cobbin who ever lived! I'm sure there's bound to be a strapping cobbin somewhere."

"If they exist, they're not in my class," said Ethan with a snort. "No, he's a human, and he's clever enough to handle a blade better than you do, gentle enough not to bloody his sparring partners, and quiet enough that he could be a burglar if he wanted. Maybe he  _ is _ one and that's why he wants to know how to fence." Ethan shrugged. "I think you'd like him if you met him."

It wasn't hard to catch the thing Ethan wasn't saying. Edmund knew his brother's mind as well as his own, could see the longing writ plain on his face. He set the cup back on the table and rose to go tend to the kettle. It wasn't boiling yet, but he suspected it would be soon. With his back to Ethan, he said, "Then I guess I'd better do that."

"He'll be at tomorrow night's lessons," Ethan offered. "I could ask him to come by early the night after."

The kettle whistled. Edmund removed it from the stove, picked up the tin of tea he'd brewed his last cup from, grabbed another of Aubrey's shabby cups, and brought it all to the table. He raised one knee to nudge at Ethan's thigh until his brother took the hint and removed his boots from the table. "I suppose that will do." Edmund worked to keep his tone even as he focused on brewing the tea. "Just be careful. I don't want any of my students to see him."

Ethan dismissed the concern with a careless wave. "You worry too much. But since you insist, I'll make sure he doesn't meet you at the front. It'll be fine. You'll like him, I promise."

*

And the thing was, Edmund  _ did _ like Carter. He was exactly as strapping as Ethan had implied: tall, with broad shoulders and strong arms and calloused hands. He had a square jaw and an open, guileless face that seemed predisposed to smiling. He greeted Edmund with a grin and a firm clap on the shoulder that Edmund couldn't help but find disarming. When Edmund told Carter Ethan's favorite joke, the young man's eyes twinkled with good humor as he chuckled.

"You're in high spirits tonight, Captain," the young man said. He still wore the ghost of that devilishly charming smile as he raked his fingers through his hair.

Edmund hesitated only for a fraction of a second before putting on a winsome grin of his own. "Well, it's a fine evening and I happen to be standing in fine company. It's enough to put any man in good spirits."

Carter leaned forward, resting his arm on the wall next to Edmund. "Ah, but you're hardly just  _ any man,  _ Captain," he said, voice low and brimming with heat. If Edmund had had any doubts about Ethan's assessment of Carter's intentions, those words burned them away.

The charm came easily; this was a familiar dance. Carter leaned in by degrees, and Edmund rose to meet him. Their foreheads touched before their lips, and Edmund felt a single spark of guilt that he should claim this before Ethan could. The kiss was brief and chaste, and Carter would have followed it with another one if Edmund hadn't pressed a finger to his lips.

"Why don't we continue this discussion after your lesson?" he suggested, putting as much impish innuendo into his tone as he dared. "You might think differently of me after I've gone hard on you."

Carter stared at him a moment, surprised, before leaning back and grinning. "I look forward to continuing this later  _ and _ to you going hard on me, Captain."

Edmund arched an eyebrow, which only caused Carter to dissolve into laughter. "Go on," he said. "I have things to prepare for class. I'll see you there."

He didn't wait for a response before retreating inside, though he thought he might have seen Carter sketch a sloppy salute. Cheeky, too. Ethan could certainly pick them.

Speaking of Ethan… he had to find his brother quickly to pass on his judgement. And make sure Ethan didn't go easy on him during class.


End file.
